Jonas Kirk emerged from the sudden death of his parents as a wealthy wanderer, traveling widely but settling into his home town, Woodland Park, MN. Immune to the movers and shakers of his community, he remained footloose until he became interested in murder. Studying forensic evidence at Hamline University, he courted the professional confidence of Lt. Chester Devlin and gradually became an informal advisor on homicide investigations. Trusted? Maybe not. A vacation in the Rockies introduces Kirk to a new standard of maturity, lures him into new efforts to become a constructive part of the community and offers him a rationale for imposing his own sense of justice. When law and jury fail, Kirk develops his own strategies, ones that arouse Devlin's suspicions. But he can't complain much. Kirk is good for his career.